This Premier League season has been hard to predict for several reasons, not least of which includes Nottingham Forest's surge to the top and Manchester City's skid down the table. Few things are as surprising as Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur's inability to escape the bottom half of the table, with the two sides seemingly competing to see who had the worse weekend – and the worse season.
Much like it was on Sunday, it can be difficult to distinguish which team was poorer than the other. United collected yet another loss at home, this time a 3-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion in which their only shot on target was a penalty. Spurs, meanwhile, somehow kept things tighter in a 3-2 loss at Everton but the stain of being 3-0 down at halftime looms large over the result. United end the weekend in 13th place and Spurs sit in 15th, much closer to the relegation contenders than the top-four race.
Though their downward turns are unusual, even considering the inconsistent performances of recent years, their dismal seasons are not exactly the result of new decisions – or decision-makers – steering well-run clubs in the entirely wrong direction. The specific circumstances for United and Spurs' poor run of form may be different, but the teams share one very notable commonality – the issues plaguing both of them are years in the making and will take time to adequately fix.
Squad building crises
If one was to diagnose the specific on-field issues plaguing United and Spurs this season, the list of issues would be fairly different. The Red Devils have a paltry 27 goals scored in 22 league games, for example, while Tottenham boast a plus-10 goal differential but the 35 goals they have conceded are a true cause for concern. No matter how you slice it, though, it is hard not to argue that both teams' issues would be solved by signing new players. That forces the question – why haven't they?
The idiosyncrasies of their leadership groups may differ, but the higher-ups and both United and Spurs have been happy to launch a fresh rebuild and then pull the plug somewhat quickly. It has left both teams with imbalanced rosters that are a mix of quality talent, promising young players and a host of players who feel like the wrong fit. The top-tier players can only do so much to cover up the holes in the team, while mixing in that many youngsters – and doing so too quickly – can mean a steep learning curve that's unideal for everyone involved.
The teams' transfer strategies are varied, though perhaps equally problematic. United have spent big on several high-profile players, defender Matthijs de Ligt among the latest after joining in the summer. They also attempted to find diamonds in the rough that have yet to turn good – forward Rasmus Hojlund still has not left his mark on the team yet, while Antony feels like a total bust at this point. Spurs, meanwhile, built a new-look starting lineup in time for Ange Postecoglou's first season in charge, but signed forward Dominic Solanke and five teenagers over the summer, which has not allowed them to vastly improve despite an encouraging start under the new manager.
This season, Tottenham have the added disadvantage of an unparalleled injury crisis, which left them without 10 first-team players for Sunday's loss to Everton. The list of unavailable players also reveals a brutal truth about Spurs' squad – they may have a well-respected preferred lineup, but the quality drops significantly when you pull the first-choice starters out. That might make for a decent foundation, but for a team that is expected to compete in four competitions a season, they truly do not have enough cover as things stand.
There's only so much a team can do to overcome those woes in the short term, setting up for yet another big summer transfer window for both teams. It is unlikely that either side will improve vastly in the winter – Tottenham did land 21-year-old goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky while Guglielmo Vicario is out injured, but that's it in terms of business so far for both teams. Spurs also might improve when their injured players return, but it should not distract from the work that needs to be done leveling up across the board.
New managers, same problems
Both Postecoglou and his counterpart at United, Ruben Amorim, have faced increasing scrutiny as their teams continue to collect losses, doing away with the optimism their hires once inspired. Amorim's newness has allowed him to escape the pressure Postecoglou faces externally in his second season at Tottenham, though both managers seem hard done by decisions that are out of their control.
Managers are the most visible and vocal representatives of any team by virtue of being the only people at a club required to regularly answer to members of the media, though that is not necessarily by their design. The circumstances create an unusual make-or-break type of accountability, accidentally positioning them as the sole decision-makers at any club. Squad building is frequently out of the manager's hands in modern club structures but even if Amorim and Postecoglou have a say, their teams' roster issues predate them. This January marks the first time Amorim will have any input at United. Spurs' midfield, meanwhile, has been in disarray since Mousa Dembele left the club in 2019 while Mauricio Pochettino was still in charge, to name just one example of the squad-building troubles the club has had for several years.
That is not to say that Amorim and Postecoglou are infallible. United's sliding form under the new manager raises questions about his ability to keep competitive spirits high, even if the squad is a poor tactical fit for his style of play. As for Postecoglou, his tactical shift to a back three against Everton left his shaky defense unusually susceptible to the Toffees' attack. That was a surprise even while considering that Ben Davies, a defender with plenty of reps at center back, returned to the lineup after a spell on the sidelines and played instead of the 18-year-old Archie Gray.
There is undoubtedly room for improvement for both managers, but it is equally easy to argue that they are hamstrung by things out of their control. Though it's far too early for Amorim to land in the hot seat, it might also be unfair to put Postecoglou there – this would be a very different season without the injuries, and there's both a strong foundation in place in terms of tactical style and roster, even if several upgrades need to be made. Spurs may be able to dig themselves out of this mess faster than United if they are serious about transfers in the summer, and it is worth asking if they have a good plan in place in case they decide to quit on Postecoglou.
Both United and Spurs have been guilty of associating their entire vision with the managers in charge – and there are a lot who have come and left in recent years at Old Trafford and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. There is nothing wrong with letting the manager play an important role, but both clubs' consistent choice to start from scratch every time they make one of their many managerial changes makes it harder for the next one to build something concrete. It is a sign that both clubs lack clear vision, which is something that could change at any time. The leaders just need to be serious about doing it, which has not been the case at either club for several years now.
